Sludgey engine

Haha, no teenagers. I do drive the car quite economically, but do give it a good flooring once a day on the onramp to the freeway. I've just remembered that's what my mechanic told me to do! I average 30km/h, but these drives are up to 40 minutes each way.

No have only done it by the book and it hasn't mentioned transmission oil. Is yours the CVT one?

Ours is CVT +7 speed .
If you check your service book it says that transmission oil should be changed every 400000 klms,as I have said I was advised to change it every 20,000klms otherwise it will need to be flushed a couple of times to fix it. and the oil is expensive.

Suggest you ask a Honda dealer or a local mechanic.
If you would like our guys phone number let me know.
Cheers

Sorry that should be 40,000 klms and may be your Mech. may not be aware of this problem.

Just double checked the maintenance schedule. Under "severe conditions" it says to change transmission fluid at 60k then every 40k thereafter. Under "normal" driving, it recommends the first one at 120k. Will get it checked out, thanks!

I think I'm more "normal" than "severe" :D

Congratulations Toyocrusa Bob
I wasn't going to say it because some people seem to defend what they are using despite is not doing the job and won't believe or consider many things mentioned on the forum.
Forum people may not know each other but some have actual industry experience to draw on. Mine similar but different to yours.

I won't use Castrol engine oils for exactly the reason you have mentioned.
Haven't bought Castrol engine oil for 25 years.
Maybe the transmission ones are OK but the engine oils, NO.

I hope the comments are read by "garbage" as he asked about the oil and is now getting replies which may indicate a change from that brand is LONG overdue. "A good oil cleans the internals".
Unfortunately many will defend well known oils particularly one starting with P_ _ _ ite and many on forums have plenty of trouble with that.

If it is engine sludged, the oil hasn't been performing for a LONG time.

I haven't looked at a CVT Jazz trans but the earlier ones had some of the valve body components built into the trans case and not only in the body. When deposits formed in the valvebody/case the whole lot had to be disassembled. Clean IS GOOD, oil change in transmission IS GOOD. I know you will agree.

Although I've used Castrol in both petrol and diesel engines for many years and never had a problem, I admit I've never taken a sump off to check if it's sludging or not.
My engines never seem to have suffered at all but must say they have never done big mileage either before the vehicle is sold.
But an ex marine engineer mate reckons he would never use Castrol for the reasons others have stated. He uses Mobil in his engines and reckon they run quieter and the oil stays cleaner longer.
Maybe I'll change to that at the next service.
AlanH.

Thanks Ross M, this is just the kind of info I was after! I've been using Castrol for no specific reason really, maybe just habit! So given the sludging, I'm looking to make a change to see if it improves. Would you recommend changing the brand of oil and staying with 10k services, or would you also suggest changing the oil more frequently?

Also, interested in your take about Penrite as I've just started using that on my D4D Prado - 5w40.

"........Toyota engines which seem to do it no matter what brand is used"

Bob,

Some years ago, we were working on a station, SW of the Isa, where some of the place was pretty hard on vehicles.Limestone rocks, potholes and wall-to-wall bulldust. Needless to say, the odd driver lacked some "mechanical sympathy" as Brockie used to say.

This young bloke was concerned that there was no oil on the dipstick, so decided to drop the oil out(what was left anyway) and do an oil change. Bit later on, walked past the workshop, and there's this intermittent, metallic scratching noise. He's under the toyota(an HJ45) using a piece of No.8 wire to extract globs of black jelly out of the sump.

Anyway, it was refilled with fresh oil(Rimula X 15W/40) and sent off around the ridges again.

Must say that the later 1HD-FTE motors run much cleaner, just using 15W/40 mineral oil,

Bob.

All I can say if is if it's a problem to do specifically with Castrol oils.... Castrol would be out of business.

There are many happy Castrol customers around the world.

Most oils these days are that close to one and other it's not funny, if you looked through all the marketing hype and trademarked brand names most of the technology would be the same.

G'day garbage
As Ocoolone says there is possibly not a large difference between most poplular oils.
I prefer Mobil as first choice and worked where it was used in diesels and although the engine was worn out, even then the engine was "clean" inside re sludging. Of course dirty diesel colour though.

With most oils Mobil/ BP/Caltex, recognised brands, should keep it clean inside. Some other popular ones don't seem to be as good.
Of course I can't test them all but what you see forms a decisive picture for me.
You should use what the oil company recommends but always check it is up the the performance rating required. Perhaps buy that oil and have your mechanic use that for your car. Perhaps do a 5k or 6k change then resume 10k.

In a D4D Prado, going on what problems have been reported by many people on various forums I wouldn't use Penrite. Predominately in Hilux and Navara.
To me there is too many troubles reported while using it and some other "popular" oils, when people have changed, some of the various problems have been eliminated or lessened in severity. Piston ring to wall sealing and blowby/oil use is one major issue.
Not my observations but the owners noticed and reported changes.
I don't really care what oils people use but I prefer to use something which I am happy with and never had a problem with.

Just because an oil appears popular here and is well known it may not be so everywhere in the world. Some oils are. They appear to be well proven. This line of thinking challenges a lot of people dedicated to the average oils though.

Cheers

Ross M

Bob Y,

Young fella we had a truck engine back in the 80's that stopped and when the sump was pulled the oil was like rubber. The dipstick was still at the full mark so that is a lot of goop sitting in the sump.

The oil company came to the party straight away after analysing the oil and rebuilt the engine. It was something to do with a batch of oil that had the wrong percentage of additives added when batching.

I know that Castrol friction modified GTX in the 80's killed a lot of car engines.

RA.

Thanks Erad, I'm starting to lean towards the 5k changes too, and possibly just going with a Mobil oil. Just regarding the operating temperature, let me describe the drives I do:

- work x 5 days: 20kms each way, sometimes stop/start, sometimes flowing traffic
- couple of 2km trips per week for sport
- general running about on weekends: 40kms per day usually 10kms at a time

The Honda handbook says you predominantly need to be doing less than 8km trips for it to be considered "severe" conditions.

Hi there Garbage, 20 klm's each way will get it up to temp. I do about 20 round trip in the wifes car (toyota yaris sedan) to work and it now has done 65k in just under 6 years (had it since new). It has done a few freeway runs up and down the coast (Penrith to Central Coast) does a run to 7 hills every monday to pick up the little one and local shops (2k), mates house, etc so it also does some short runs. I use the genuine toyota oil recomended for the VVTI engine and there is no sign of sludge in the rocker cover, dipstick, oil cap, etc. I do it every 10k (is due in about another 300k actually) I use the same oil in the prado now as well which is also VVTI V6 with 120k on it and it also does the same as the yaris but also does trips to Forster and where ever where going on holidays so it does alot more freeway at higher speeds and I dont baby it either. Maybe try Toyota's VVTI oil, I have no idea who makes it ?? I have heard Castrol, Mobil etc so I would have no bloody idea but no sign of sludge in either vehicle. The oil coming out of the yaris is always a tad dirtier then the prado ?? I use genuine filters also. As my wife refuses to drive manual I will never buy a Honda in auto. There transmissions are so temperamental and when we had our Civic with 37k on it the transmission was thumping between gears. Turned out it was some seals (3 of them) was $600, It also had to be removed from the car to be serviced every 20k as recomended as there was no way of accessing the filter inside it without them removing the tranny from the car. This was going to be a $400 fee every time. Sold it as soon as the 3 seals were fixed. Shame as there a well built car, smooth,quit etc and these new CVT, or DSG's transmissions I wont touch with a barge poll. We are updating the wifes car after Xmas but before the new corolla comes out as all the new ones will have CVT. Just my opinion but they all seem to be having issues compared to the older torque converter type. Dont know why they need to keep complicating things. My 5 speed auto in the prado is super smooth any way. Id be doing your tranny every 20 to save it and oil ?? well that depends on what you want to use. Maybe add a flush every time you do it for the next few changes to try and clean it out a bit. If it was mine Id get some el cheapo oil and some cheap filters and do three oil changes and flushes plus filter every 1000k for the next 3k and give it some running up and down the highway/freeway then the last change decide what quality oil your going to use and as mentioned above do it every 5k and filter. ....